Private companies, charities and voluntary organisations will be paid if they
stop criminals reoffending under plans for a “rehabilitation revolution” to
be outlined by the Prime Minister today.

David Cameron will announce that all prisoners will have to be given help with rehabilitation over the next few years, rather than just those serving more than a year in prison as is currently the situation.

A new payment-by-results system will see a range of non-government organisations offered thousands of pounds if they manage to rehabilitate prisoners. It will be modelled on the Government’s scheme to get the long-term unemployed back to work with the help of intensive private-sector support.

In a speech today, Mr Cameron will say he wants to introduce a “tough but intelligent” approach to criminal justice.

“We’re saying to charities, companies and voluntary organisations – come and help us rehabilitate our prisoners,” he will say. “Give offenders new skills, educate them.

“If they’ve been in a gang, send a reformed gang member to meet them at the prison gates and take them under their wing. If they’re on drugs, try the latest techniques to get them clean. Do whatever it takes to get these people back living decent, productive lives.”

He will add: “When this Government came to power we were spending £40,000 a year [per criminal] just on banging people up. With payment by results, your money goes into what works – prisoners going straight, crime coming down, our country getting safer.”

The Prime Minister will say that he wants such rehabilitation programmes to become “the norm rather than the exception” for all but the most high-risk prisoners by the end of 2015.

“Today, rehab just goes to those who have been inside for a year or more,” Mr Cameron will say. “But that misses all those who go in for shorter sentences yet reoffend time and time again.”

However, Mr Cameron will insist that he is “not going to try and outbid any other politician on toughness”, saying that he wants prison to offer people support, not just punishment.

The criminal justice speech appears to be the latest attempt by the Prime Minister to launch policies that will be welcomed by voters to help revive his flagging popularity.

However, it is also understood that Mr Cameron intends that the overhaul of the system, which is being overseen by Chris Grayling, the former employment minister who was promoted to Justice Secretary last month, will be one of the Coalition’s flagship policies before the next election.

He will today insist that he wants to be seen as not only tough on crime, but also determined to tackle the root problems and causes.

“Committing a crime is always a choice,” the Prime Minister will say. “That’s why the primary, proper response to crime is not explanations or excuses, it is punishment – proportionate, meaningful punishment.

“Victims need to know that the criminal will be held to account and dealt with … retribution is not a dirty word, it is important to society that revulsion against crime is properly recognised.”

However, the Prime Minister will insist that the idea of helping criminals to reform is “not soft or liberal” – after his previous justice policies were branded “hug a hoodie”.

“Prevention is the cheapest and most effective way to deal with crime – everything else is simply picking up the pieces of failure that has gone before,” he will say.